Frequently AskedQuestions

Laminate

PERGO® is the leader and most recognized consumer brand of laminate flooring. We invented laminate flooring in 1977, and were one of the first companies to sell laminate flooring in the United States. The brand name Pergo has become synonymous with superior quality, high performance laminate flooring. Remember, not all laminate floors are equal, so make sure you are getting genuine Pergo–the brand of laminate flooring you know and trust. There's only one PERGO®.

Pergo is the most recognized and preferred brand of laminate flooring. We invented laminate flooring over 40 years ago, and we continue to introduce innovative, fashion forward designs and exclusive performance technologies that are easy to live with. We are committed to being the leading laminate flooring company through our state of the art products, industry leading warranties, and dedication to customer service.

Pergo consists of several layers of materials bonded together under extreme heat and pressure. Absolutely no harmful glues or toxic chemicals are used in the bonding of our products, ensuring health conscious, worry-free flooring for your family.

The first component is our patented ScratchGuard Advanced surface protection, which is comprised of a melamine resin enriched with aluminum oxide particles for enhanced scratch and scuff protection. In our most premium performance floors, ScratchGuard Advanced is combined with our innovative PermaMax™ wear layer to create a highly durable and wear-resistant surface that provides twice the wear and twice the durability* versus ordinary laminates. Additionally, this layer is often embossed for an added realistic look and feel that is unparalled in the industry.

The second layer is a decorative graphic sheet. This layer provides the beautiful designs you will enjoy in your home for years to come. We are one of the few companies that use a premium four color printing process when creating many of our designs, which results in increased color richness, depth and realism.

The third layer, or core, is a highly durable High Density Fiber (HDF) board which provides superior stability, strength and dent resistance in our floors. Each of our boards are engineered to meet the highest of quality standards and come from recycled wood materials, ensuring absolutely no old growth trees or endangered wood species are used in our products.

The final component is a core backing material, and on our best products, a premium attached underlayment for quicker installation and improved sound characteristics.

With Pergo's dual-locking installation systems, a do-it-yourselfer can click together a living room size floor in about a day, and start enjoying it immediately. If you wish to install Pergo flooring yourself, spend time reviewing our detailed Installation Essentials Guide or watch our video online.

Pergo flooring can be installed in any room inside the house where the floor is solid and flat. Pergo should not be installed in rooms with sump pumps or floor drains, or in motor homes, boats or planes. Please reference product specific installation instructions for information about installing in wet areas, such as bathrooms with showers or mudrooms, as installation methods may vary by product.

Absolutely, but with certain precautions. The concrete must be fully set. Moisture readings from a calcium chloride test (available at home centers) must be no more than 5lbs/1000 sq ft/24 hours or < 80% RH with an in situ probe. Should moisture record above these levels, Pergo is not recommended. In all cases, a 6 mil polyethylene moisture barrier overlapped at least 8” and taped is required on all concrete installations.

Concrete subfloor moisture levels must be at or below 5 lbs/1000 sf/24-hr when using a calcium chloride moisture test for concrete subfloors or below 80% RH with an in situ probe. Wood subfloor moisture levels must be at or below 12%.

Crawl space and/or basement should be ventilated and dry.

Acclimate Pergo in the room in which you intend to install it a minimum of 48 hours before the installation.

To repair scratches, small chips and dents color fill kits, wood finish repair sticks or putties are easy to use. Pergo provides numerous color coordinated putty options. If significant plank damage, an option may be to replace a plank. Plank replacements can be challenging to the average do-it-yourselfer, we recommend you contact your retailer or visit NALFA.com to locate a flooring professional who has the proper tools and training for plank replacements.

Pergo can be installed in homes without climate control when proper installation precautions are taken. Please pay special attention to "Rooms without climate control" in Section 16 of our Installation Essentials Guide.

Pergo requires the use of a vapor barrier on a concrete sub-floor to validate the warranty. For everything you need to know about installing Pergo, please consult the Installation Essentials Guide or watch our installation videos.

Pergo Gold Underlayment can be used as extra padding only with Pergo Max. For all other Pergo flooring, Pergo DOES NOT recommend that you add extra padding, including cork underlayment, to your laminate floors that are sold with padding already attached and included in the cartons you purchase. This will void the warranty.

Pergo's retailers provide moldings under the PERGO® and Simple Solutions® brands. The Four-in-One transition offers the optional use as hard surface or carpet transition, t-molding or end molding. Also available are stair nose, quarter round and wall base. Each of our moldings are color coordinated with our flooring.

All Pergo floors, including Outlast+, feature a SurfaceDefense wear protection layer, which is scratch resistant but not scratch proof. Here is some information that might help you down the road to prevent or minimizes scratches.

Use felt pads on the bottom of all chairs/tables/sofas.

Change all plastic or metal casters on rolling furniture to rubber casters.

Do not drag heavy furniture across the floor.

Trim pet nails frequently.

If scratches occur, you may be able to cover scratches up with Scratch Away or Old English Scratch Cover. It comes in both light and dark varieties and is available at most grocery stores. Apply this product only to the scratches using a clean, dry cloth, not the entire floor surface. It helps disguise them by not reflecting the light.

For general cleaning, use a dust mop or vacuum with the correct hard surface attachment – never a rotating brush, floor scrubbers, steamers, jet mops, buffers or similar products. To clean, an occasional damp (not wet) mop*, quick sweeping or light vacuuming with the hard floor attachments are usually all it takes. When damp mopping, an ideal solution is a combination of 1 gallon of water with 1 cup vinegar or 1⁄3 cup of non-sudsing ammonia. Do not pour liquid directly on the floor or use an excessively wet mop that will puddle or leave moisture standing on the floor. Be sure to squeeze the water out of the mop thoroughly before mopping, and rinse the mop frequently.

Pergo floors must never be waxed, polished, sanded or refinished, and never use a steam, wet or jet mop when cleaning. Do not use detergents, abrasive cleaners, soaps, waxes or polishes.

To protect from scratches, place walk-off area rugs or mats inside exterior doorways to collect small bits of gravel. We recommend using felt protectors on the legs of furniture and replacing plastic or metal casters with rubber wheels. Replace plastic or metal casters on chairs with rubber wheels and lift rather than slide heavy objects across the floor.

*Occasional wet mopping is permitted only for Pergo floors with SpillProtect or Wetprotect.

Once a floor decor has been discontinued, your retailer will most likely no longer sell it. If a floor is recently discontinued, you may be able to contact area stores to see if any have remaining stock. For older decors where the style is discontinued and supply is depleted you should visit your local home improvement store with a swatch of your current flooring and see if you can identify a suitable match with what is on display. It may also be worthwhile to check online auction or local market sites.

If you feel that you have a warranty related problem, you should take your original purchase receipt, if possible, back to the retailer where you purchased the floor and file a warranty claim with that store. The store will then contact Pergo to begin the warranty process. An inspector may come to your home to evaluate the conditions and determine what caused the problem. Once an evaluation is complete you will be contacted with the results. The whole process could take up to 20-30 business days, depending on the circumstances, although most issues are resolved much faster.

Unfortunately, we cannot identify your floor based on the numbers on the back of the plank, alone. Ideally we need the Pergo SKU or decor name typically located on the carton or a receipt. Without having this item number, we suggest that you take the plank you have to your local home improvement stores and see if you can identify a suitable match with what is on display.

We cannot always identify flooring based on photos. Pergo over the years has hundreds of combinations of colors, patterns and plank thickness, and in most cases we no longer stock what was sold in prior years and has now been discontinued. We suggest that you take a swatch of your floor to your local home improvement stores and see if you can identify a suitable match with what is on display.

If you have Pergo laminate flooring with SpillProtect or WetProtect waterproof technology, pet accidents are no problem. Your floor is protected against moisture damage and stains, but you will need to clean up any messes that leave residue on your flooring. Unfortunately, laminate without SpillProtect or WetProtect technology is not protected against pet accidents. We recommend that you clean up spills and messes as quickly as possible, to avoid permanent damage to your floor.

Pergo is not affiliated with Lumber Liquidators. We make Pergo floors to meet the strictest indoor air quality standards to ensure our floors are safe for the households that purchase them. For more information, please contact Pergo Customer Service.

More than 97% of Pergo products are made in America. A few products are imported from Europe. Regardless of manufacture location, all Pergo floors are subjected to rigorous tests designed to ensure all products meet the highest standards and do not harm interior air quality. We make our floors safe for you and your loved ones.

Pergo is safe for you and your loved ones. All Pergo floors are subjected to rigorous tests by Third Party Laboratories that are designed to ensure all Pergo products meet the highest standards and do not harm interior air quality. These rigorous tests have resulted in Pergo floors receiving FloorScore™ certification. This means our products do not release harmful levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) into living environments.

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance in all wood, formed by elements found in our environment like carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. While formaldehyde is naturally occurring, high levels can be harmful to humans. At Pergo, we follow rigorous safety guidelines to make sure our floors are safe. The quality of our products meet the strictest safety guidelines.

Learn more about Pergo's commitment to safety and quality. For more information on CARB, visit www.arb.ca.gov

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance in all wood, so it cannot be completely removed from floors containing wood particles. We regularly check that our products are certified and in accordance with the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) 93120 Title 17, California Code of Regulations and CARB Phase 2. These strict standards mean that our floors are safe for you and your family.

Learn more about Pergo's commitment to safety and quality. For more information on CARB, visit www.arb.ca.gov

Pergo adheres to rigorous manufacturing practices to ensure safety. All of our laminate and engineered wood flooring is manufactured and sold by Pergo and tested in accordance with the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) 93120 Title 17, California Code of Regulations and meet the CARB Phase 2 standards. Additionally, our production facilities and suppliers are audited, with samples randomly selected for testing by an independent Third Party Certifier approved by CARB. If you have additional questions, let us know. We're here to help! Ask Pergo.

You can rest assured your Pergo floor is safe and meets the strictest indoor air quality standards in the world because third party laboratories verify this. For more information on a product, please reach out to us. We're here to help. Ask Pergo

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance in all wood, formed by elements found in our environment like carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. While formaldehyde is naturally occurring, high levels can be harmful to humans. At Pergo, we follow rigorous safety guidelines to make sure our floors are safe. The quality of our products meet the strictest safety guidelines. This is why we immediately adopted the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) 93120 Title 17, California Code of Regulations in 2008 to ensure that our floors are safe for you and your family.

Any products produced prior to 2008 should have minimal if any remaining formaldehyde as formaldehyde off-gasses quickly in normal living conditions. For more information about indoor air quality and the many factors that contribute to it, we suggest you visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)website and download their Healthy Housing Reference Manual. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha05.htm

Hardwood

Unfortunately, we are unable to test every product available on the market today. Most chemicals recommend testing the product in an inconspicuous location to check for staining before applying to the surface in question.

While most petroleum based products have little effect on our flooring, we would recommend that you test the bug spray either on a spare piece of flooring or in an inconspicuous spot to determine if that particular product will harm the finish. Apply the product then wait 30 minutes. Remove the product. If no change has occurred in the coloration or level of gloss, you likely will have no issues.

Additionally, you will need to be sure that they do not apply excessive moisture to the joints, as this could cause swelling.

No. The Shark Steam Cleaner or any other cleaning machine that puts moisture directly on the floor should never be used on your Pergo hardwood floor. Also, no buffers, sprayers, soaps, detergents, oil soaps, mop and shine products, shine enhancers/restorers, etc. may be used.

Although some of the cleaning devices in the marketplace today state that they may be used on hardwoods, the fine print indicates they may be used on sealed, site finished floors. Steam is moisture and these cleaners will drive moisture into the seams and finish of the hardwood and damage the flooring. Pergo hardwood floors are pre-finished at the factory, as are most hardwood floors today, and the seams are not sealed. If damage occurs due to a non-recommended cleaner or cleaning device, the damage will not be covered under Pergo’s hardwood warranty.

The only cleaning products we recommend are those specifically formulated for pre-finished hardwood floors.

Our engineered product is comprised of a hardwood multi-ply core compressed between a face veneer and back veneer. We match our face and back veneers to create a balanced panel that will reduce warping and movement. For example, our oak hardwood is comprised of an oak face with an engineered core and back to balance the natural expansion and contraction of the wood to avoid cupping or crowning.

We do not recommend that you install PERGO hardwood flooring in bathrooms or powder rooms. Carefully read all installation instructions regarding specific requirements for damp locations such as kitchens, mud rooms, foyers, and laundry rooms.

PERGO locking hardwood flooring panels, and accessories are not recommended for extremely humid applications such as in saunas or swimming pool areas.

Since prolonged exposure to moisture can damage your flooring, the installation recommendations above should be closely followed. Water damage is not covered under the PERGO engineered hardwood warranty.

Wipe up spills immediately. Do not allow liquids to stand on or stay in contact with your hardwood floor. Carefully follow all maintenance and care instructions to avoid potential damage to you floor.